Outside of the work we do on international and domestic projects, we believe in the value of not only a skilled engineer, but someone who is well rounded. In order to accomplish this, we spend a lot of our time providing professional development opportunities our members.

Community Involvement:

Without the support of our community, the Oklahoma State chapter of Engineers Without Borders would not be able to exist. Our community supports us and provides us exposure to reach those who may grow up to become a member of EWB some day!

One of our biggest events every year is our football tailgate! During this event, our members grill up some burgers and finger foods, sell raffle tickets to fund chapter events, and spend time sharing our accomplishments with others as we enjoy the pre-game fun!

We also speak at various clubs at OSU as well as the surrounding middle and high schools and technology centers. At these speaking opportunities, we try to convey the difference in life styles for those members of communities our work effects as well as try and recruit members or future members. Our club is open to everyone--not just engineers!

Networking Opportunities:

One of the biggest hidden gems of EWB is the networking opportunities our members gain through club involvement. Companies know that our members are well equipped to enter the working world after graduation--a big part of this is due to the experiences gained through the opportunities provided by EWB. Many of our current members can attest to receiving their job offer, internship, or co-op because the employer sought a skill that was gained through being a member of this club. We regularly have guest speakers from our sponsor companies as well as companies that our members have expressed interest in hearing from. At these events, our members get to learn about these companies and talk to the presenters one-on-one.

EWB-USA puts on a National EWB Conference every year as well. We try to send as many members as we can because this is a great opportunity to learn outside the classroom! At this event, our members get to hear about other chapters projects, chapter development activities, and so much more. This conference also emphasizes professional networking. Meals are shared with professional engineers, students, and guest speakers in order to encourage new connections as well as share expertise and advice.

While public speaking is terrifying to most, it is a great skill to have! Our chapter is regularly contacted to present the work we've done at conferences and poster presentations. This year we have plans on presenting at the Oklahoma Professional Engineering Conference this Summer as well as the University of Oklahoma Water Council Conference in the Fall.

Over the past 5 years, OSU-EWB has been in partnership with the community of Plan de Avila, Guatemala. During this time, our international team has traveled to the site four times with two separate design implementation trips. Our main goal has been to provide the community with a reliable source of water. This goal became a reality during spring break 2018 through the design and construction of a first flus water filtration system.

This past March we were able to further improve upon on our water collection design as well as provide over 50 community members with potable water through hollow-fiber filter buckets. Below is the perspective of our 2019 Project Lead, Josh Wood:

"During spring break 2019 I traveled with six students and two faculty members to visit a rural community in rural southeastern Guatemala called Plan de Avila. This community is home to approximately 200 people. These people lack running water, reliable electricity, and internet connection. In 2018, some of my team visited that town and built two rainwater catchment systems to provide the residents with clean water during the rainy season. In 2019, the team’s mission was to collect data on the system, perform repairs, and make improvements. In the end, every repair and improvement the team set out to make was accomplished. We bettered the system's ability to filter out dirty water from the rain, and the system was expanded to accommodate even more water storage per request of the town. Before 2018, Plan de Avila was starved for water. Families had to share a 5-gallon bucket for drinking, cooking, and washing for the day. The location and time of the next water replenishment was always uncertain. Now nobody wants for water. Spending months with my team planning and preparing for that work then getting to see it all pay off in better health for the community and a higher living standard for people who lack even basic necessities was the most humbling experience I've ever had. I'll never forget the faces of the Plan de Avila residents when we were there on our last day and they were telling us what it meant to them that we were there working. I'll never forget what it felt like working with my team and knowing we would all make sure the project got done exactly right for the residents of Plan de Avila, no matter what that would take."

The testing mentioned by Josh compared the clarity of the water before and after the filtration system which can be seen in the photo attatched to this post.

With the conclusion of our water project, our international team ended their implementation trip by asking the community what else our chapter could do to meet some of their needs. We hope to continue working with this community in different aspects in the coming years. This fundraising campaign will be a huge part of the planning of our next trip as our impact to the community is limited by our funds.